Collapsible shipping containers

ABSTRACT

A collapsible shipping container having its vertical walls provided with tongues and notches to interfit, and corner locking members to hold the sides together. The base fits within the setup sides. Each side has a unitary leg which includes a base support. Locking means are provided to hold the base in position, and an alternative design prevents shearing between the base support and the leg, should the loaded box be dropped on a corner.

United States Patent William 11... Talbert Inventor York, Pa.

Appl. No. 857,482

Filed Sept. 12, 1969 Patented Oct. 12, 19711 Assignee Canton Company ofBaltimore Baltimore, Md.

COLLAPSIBLE SHIPPING CONTAIINIERS 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

11.8. C1 217/12 R, 217/65, 217/69 Int.C1 865d 9/12, 865d 9/38 Field ofSearch 217/5, 12, 65, 69, 16; 206/46, 62, 46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,034 6/1936 Pennock eta1. 217/5 2,547,112 4/1951 Daniels 217/43 A 2,578,644 12/1951Mautner..... 217/12 UX 3,370,735 2/1968 Wyrough 217/12 PrimaryExaminer-Raphael H. Schwartz AttorneyTheodore C. Browne ABSTRACT: Acollapsible shipping container having its vertical walls provided withtongues and notches to interfit, and corner locking members to hold thesides together. The base fits within the setup sides. Each side has aunitary leg which includes a base support. Locking means are provided tohold the base in position, and an alternative design prevents shearingbetween the base support and the leg, should the loaded box be droppedon a comer.

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41%, 3 WWW CtUtlLklllPbllltLlE MHWPHNG EUNTATNIEHRS This inventionrelates to reuseable shipping containers which can be collapsed andreturned to the factory in knocked-down condition, and is particularlydesigned for the protection and shipment of machinery, e.g. of enginesand compressors, etc.

It is a considerable advantage to enclose machinery during freightshipment completely. Many purchasers require that the machines beshipped to them in containers where they will be protected againstweather, damage and spills from other items in the freight, andespecially that the machines be protected from pilferage of parts.

However, full crating is expensive. its demand for lumber is high.Particularly in marine shipments, where the charge for freight iscalculated on a volume rather than a weight basis, returning the setupbut empty machinery container can cost more than the value of the crate.The advantage of a container which can be returned knocked down andoccupy merely the volume of flat lumber is obvious.

The container which will be described is designed to hold reasonablyheavy pieces of equipment, but the same design holds considerableadvantage for the shipping of miscellaneous goods which may be packed inthe containers and sealed against pilferage.

The container can be understood from the following specification, andfrom the drawings in which ElG. l. is a perspective view of thecontainer with breakaways in section.

MG. 2 is a partial view of the comer posts showing end stops.

FllG. 3 is a partial side view of the container showing the dropped baseand the support blocks.

EllG. 4i is a partial perspective view of a modified corner and channelsupport.

As shown in H6. ll, the collapsible container, MT, is built up from foursidepieces, ill, the vertical margins, 112, of which are formed intotongues 13, and cooperating notches, M. A slot, 115, which extends fromtop to bottom of the side is cut on the outer vertical face of eachside, llll, adjacent the margins, 12. The bottom margin is cut back asat llo, to provide clearance for the forks of a lift truck.

Legs, 117, for the container are formed not only by that portion, 20, ofthe side, ll, which extends between the lower outer corner and the cutout portion, 116, but also by a block, lltl, fastened to the leg portionof the side, ill, in any appropriate manner. Each leg is covered orprotected with a metallic sheathing, l9, which may, e.g. be held inproper assembled relationship by mechanical fasteners or by rivets, 21.

The blocks, lb, support the base, 22, which, if the container is to beused for the shipment of heavy machine parts, may have the extra supportof rails, 23, or stiffeners affixed to the base.

The base is locked in position and prevented from rising by baseretaining blocks, 24 which are fastened on the inner face of the sides,ill, in such a position that the base, 22, and rail, 23 (if one is used)is retained between the upper face, 25, of the base support blocks, andthe lower face, 26, of the base retaining blocks, M.

if light loads only are to be shipped, the vertical position of thefloor in relation to the height of the cutout, 11415, is not important,but if any substantial weight is to be put in the container, it ishighly advantageous to place the base, 22, at such a height that thebottom surface, 27, of base, 22, lies below the crest, 2b, of thefork-clearing cutout, 116. When so arranged, the forks of a lift trucksupport and lift the entire base, they cannot engage perhaps only onevertical side and so wrench the container.

The container is assembled by interfitting the sides, ill, at rightangles, fitting the tongues, l3, into the notches, M. The sides, ill,are locked in position by the corner posts. Each post, 29, comprises aright angle section having marginal flanges, 311, bent at right anglesto the arms, 32-32. Each flange M, is preferably continuous along theouter margins of the posts. On one end of the post, 29, either one orboth of the arms, 32, is bent inwardly at an angle to form a stop, 33(see FIG. 2)v

By pushing the comer posts, 29, downwardly with the marginal flanges,311, in engagement with the slots, 15, the container is locked together.Three sides are first locked together, then the base, 22, is slid inbetween the base supports, 18, and the base retainers, 24. The posts,29, cannot fall downwardly because the stop, 33, engages the top marginof a side, 1111.

Drop tests have shown that if the load is heavy and the container landson the outer corner of a leg, the base support block, 13, may shear offat or near the joint between the block, l8, and the leg portion, 20, ofthe side llll. However, if the leg portion, 20, be shortened so that thebase support block, 11ft, rather than the extended leg portion, 20,receives the corner blow, the base, 22, and whatever it carries remainsupported. Shearing as a result of a corner blow does not take place,and usually in ordinary mishaps, but slight damage results.

lFlG. 1 illustrates this improvement. The base support blocks, llfia,extend below the lower margin, 34, of the sides, ill-11 l. The metalsheathing, llila, then is bent so that its lower surface includes astep, 35, one paut, 36, of which covers the lower margin, 34, of a side,Ill, and the remaining portion, 37, forms a protection and skid shoe forthe base support block, 18a.

FIG. 4} also shows a sheathing for the lower edge of a side, llll,adapted also to receive and to support the base, 22. This sheathing, 3h,(conveniently an extruded shape) includes two channel sections, 39 andM. Channel, 39, is directed upwardly and houses the lower cutout edge ofa side ll, and channel, 4H1, is directed horizontally inwards andreceives the container base, 22. Damage to the walls, ill, from theforks of a lift truck is reduced because of the metallic sheathing.

The container is closed by a top, 42, which preferably overlaps thesetup sides, llll, by a small amount-say one eighth of an inch-and formsa drip cornice. We-atherproofing is aided by placing a compressiblegasket, 43, between the sides, ll, and the top. The gasket is usuallyadhered to the top.

Sealing is accomplished by box strapping, M, which, in order to insureits correct placement, is fitted into the shallow notches, 435. Blocks,4b--which can also be full marginal railsare fastened to the inside ofthe top, 42, directly behind each notch, 45, leaving just enoughclearance for the thickness of a side. When the top is in place, thepull of the box strapping, 441, is resisted by the blocks, 16, and thetop d2, in compression. The sides, llll, cannot bow inwards as thestrapping is pulled taut.

To unpack and disassemble the container, the strapping, M, is cut, thecover is lifted off, two of the corner posts, 29, are withdrawn, and oneside is removed. The three-sided box usually remains stable while themachine is being unbolted from the base or from the base and thestiffening supports.

To collapse the container completely, the two remaining corner posts,29, are removed. Nothing remains but six substantially flat parts andthe metal corner posts which can be strapped together and returned tothe shipper with significant saving in return freight and stowage space.

llclaim:

ll. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls provided withtongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues and notches ofan adjacent side,

b. slots formed in the outer face of each side extending transverse ofthe side adjacent each end,

c. comer locking members having end stops to position said members andinturned marginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slotsand lock the interfitted sides together,

d. each of said sides having a cutback to provide clearance for a forklift and a leg area adjacent the cutback portion,

e. a base support block backing the leg area of each of said sides,

f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of said box and torest on the side support blocks,

g. a top having means to resist the inward bowing of each side whenpulled inward by a box strapping, and

h. each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which form a skid-shoe forsaid legs.

2. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls provided withtongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues and notches ofan adjacent side,

b. slots formed in the outer face of each side extending transverse ofthe side adjacent each end,

0. comer locking members having end stops to position said members andinturned marginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slotsand lock the interfitted sides together,

d. each of said sides having a cutback to provide clearance for a forklift, and a leg area adjacent the cutback portion,

e. a base support block backing the leg area of each of said sides,

f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of said box and torest on the side support blocks,

g. a top having means to resist the inward bowing of each side whenpulled inward by a box strapping,

h. each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which forms a skid-shoe forsaid legs, bearing the said support base blocks extending downwardlybelow 3. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls providedwith tongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues andnotches of an adjacent side,

b. slots formed in the outer face of each side extending transverse ofthe side adjacent each end,

0. comer locking members having end stops to position said members andinturned marginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slotsand lock the interfltted sides together,

each of said sides having a cutback to provide clearance for a forklift, and a leg area adjacent the cutback portion,

- a base-support block backing the leg area of each of said sides, and

. a dual channel member provided with vertical and horizontal channels,the said vertical channel enclosing the lower cutout margin of eachside, and the said horizontal channel being fitted over a margin of thebase. A collapsible shipping container having sidewalls provided withtongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues and notches ofan adjacent side,

slots formed in the outer face of each side extending transverse of theside adjacent each end,

corner locking members having end stops to position side members andinturned marginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slotsand lock the interfltted sides together,

each of said sides having a cutback to provide clearance for a forklift, and a leg area adjacent the cutback portion, a base support blockbacking the leg area of each of said sides,

f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of said box and torest on the side support blocks, a top having means to resist the inwardbowing of each side when pulled inward by a box strapping,

. each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which forms a skid-shoe forsaid legs, and

. wherein the base-supporting blocks are positioned to maintain thebottom surface of said base in a horizontal plane slightly below thecutout margins of said sides, whereby the forks of a lift truck willengage transversely the entire width of the bottom panel and so relievethe sides of the said containers from the lifting burden.

1. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls provided withtongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues and notches ofan adjacent side, b. slots formed in the outer face of each sideextending transverse of the side adjacent each end, c. corner lockingmembers having end stops to position said members and inturned marginalflanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slots and lock theinterfitted sides together, d. each of said sides having a cutback toprovide clearance for a fork lift and a leg area adjacent the cutbackportion, e. a base support block backing the leg area of each of saidsides, f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of said box andto rest on the side support blocks, g. a top having means to resist theinward bowing of each side when pulled inward by a box strapping, and h.each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which form a skidshoe for saidlegs.
 2. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls providedwith tongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues andnotches of an adjacent side, b. slots formed in the outer face of eachside extending transverse of the side adjacent each end, c. cornerlocking members having end stops to position said members and inturnedmarginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slots and lockthe interfitted sides together, d. each of said sides having a cutbackto provide clearance for a fork lift, and a leg area adjacent thecutback portion, e. a base support block backing the leg area of each ofsaid sides, f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of saidbox and to rest on the side support blocks, g. a top having means toresist the inward bowing of each side when pulled inward by a boxstrapping, h. each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which forms askid-shoe for said legs, bearing i. the said support base blocksextending downwardly below the extent of the leg portion of said sideswhereby the force of a blow on a bottom corner of said container will betransmitted directly by said base support to the base and its load, andshearing between the base support and side is minimized.
 3. Acollapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls provided with tonguesand notches adapted to interfit with the tongues and notches of anadjacent side, b. slots formed in the outer face of each side extendingtransverse of the side adjacent each end, c. corner locking membershaving end stops to position said members and inturned marginal flangesadapted to fit into the said transverse slots and lock the interfittedsides together, d. each of said sides having a cutback to provideclearance for a fork lift, and a leg area adjacent the cutback portion,e. a base-support block backing the leg area of each of said sides, andf. a dual channel member provided with vertical and horizontal channels,the said vertical channel enclosing the lower cutout margin of eachside, and the said horizontal channel being fitted over a margin of thebase.
 4. A collapsible shipping container having a. sidewalls providedwith tongues and notches adapted to interfit with the tongues andnotches of an adjacent side, b. slots formed in the outer face of eachside extending transverse of the side adjacent each end, c. cornerlocking members having end stops to position side members and inturnedmarginal flanges adapted to fit into the said transverse slots and lockthe interfitted sides together, d. each of said sides having a cutbackto provide clearance for a fork lift, and a leg area adjacent thecutback portion, E. a base support block backing the leg area of each ofsaid sides, f. a bottom adapted to fit within the setup sides of saidbox and to rest on the side support blocks, g. a top having means toresist the inward bowing of each side when pulled inward by a boxstrapping, h. each of said legs bearing metal sheathing which forms askid-shoe for said legs, and i. wherein the base-supporting blocks arepositioned to maintain the bottom surface of said base in a horizontalplane slightly below the cutout margins of said sides, whereby the forksof a lift truck will engage transversely the entire width of the bottompanel and so relieve the sides of the said containers from the liftingburden.